The use of portable devices with touch-sensitive surfaces as input devices has increased significantly in recent years. Such portable devices have greatly increased the number of content generation opportunities for users, including taking pictures or writing down notes, contact information, or appointments, just to name a few examples. Often, in such content generation opportunities, time is critical, as a user may want to take advantage of a fresh memory or a fleeting event.
But existing methods for accessing applications are slow and a hindrance to fast content generation, particularly when the device is in a locked, passcode-protected state. Accessing applications on a device while the device is locked requires multiple steps, which prevent immediate use of applications when rapid use is beneficial or desired. Further, certain applications such as the camera application require multiple hardware and software operations during startup. These multiple operations may delay the moment when the application is ready to use, and thus also hinder quick content generation.